Finishing machine

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A FINISHING MACHINE HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER SUPPORTED AT THE BOTTOM BY SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING RESILIENT MEMBERS. THE CONTAINER CONFINES MEDIA FOR POLISHING OR FINISHING WORKPIECES. THE INVENTION INVOLVES EMPLOYING A FIXTURE MECHANSIM ADAPTED TO HOLD THE WORKPIECES TO BE FINISHED WHICH IS POSITIVELY RECIPROCATED WITHIN THE MEDIA THROUGHOUT A 360* CYCLE BY MEANS OF AN ECCENTRIC CONSTRUCTION OF THE DRIVE SHAFT AS THE MEDIA IS TUMBLED THROUGHOUT THE CONTAINER BY OSCILLATION AND VIBRATION OF THE FIXTURE AND THE CONTAINER WITH THE FIXTURE BEING FREE TO ROTATE ON THE ECCENTRIC PORTION OF THE DRIVE SHAFT.

M1 12, 11971 J. K. DEEDE FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 1. 1970 INVENTOR. JOHN K DEEDE BY M JQflJ fl/ Attorneys J. K. DEEDE 5 8 FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 1, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet Z INVENTOR. JOHN K DEEDE Attorneys Uni. 12, 1971 J DEEDE 3,611,638

FINISHING MACHINE FiLeci April 1. 1970 3 Sh0eLs-Sheet .1

INVENTOR. JOHN K. DEE DE BY wgd gI/{SZJ Attor neys United States Patent 3,611,638 FINISHING MACHINE John K. Deede, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Electro- Deburring (10., Inc., Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Apr. 1, 1970, Ser. No. 24,737 Int. Cl. 1324b 31/06 U.S. Cl. 51-7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a finishing machine having a generally cylindrical container supported at the bottom by substantially radially extending resilient members. The container confines media for polishing or finishing workpieces. The invention involves employing a fixture mechanism adapted to hold the workpieces to be finished which is positively reciprocated within the media throughout a 360 cycle by means of an eccentric construction of the drive shaft as the media is tumbled throughout the container by oscillation and vibration of the fixture and the container with the fixture being free to rotate on the eccentric portion of the drive shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art in the field of the invention is exemplified by US. Pat. 3,371,449 directed to a vibratory finishing machine wherein an eccentric drive is applied to a U- shaped container to drive the container in an orbital path. Thus, the fixture, container and media, when the container is filled with the latter, move in the same direction together and the fixture rotates on the same axis as the container so that there is no positive reciprocation or oscillation of the fixture with respect to the media.

The eccentric drive, which is located beneath the container, shakes the container and in turn the container shakes the finishing media contained therein. The framework of the workpiece-holding fixture is rigidly attached to the container and is also shaken along with the media. The part of the fixture which holds the workpieces is mounted in the framework of the fixture in bearings and is capable of rotation provided that the eccentric which is shaking the container and fixture is rotated at a high enough speed and if the chemical material and water in the container is controlled.

The present invention decreases the time required to finish a workpiece by positively reciprocating or oscillating the fixture and workpieces held thereby throughout a 360 cycle as the media is tumbled into contact with the workpieces. Thus, the workpieces are always positively reciprocating in the media and are being forced against and through media in the container even when the workpieces are at the bottom of the drum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the invention is directed to a cylindrical shaped container which is supported at the bottom on resilient members which extend at an angle of about sixty degrees with respect to the top of the load in the container to be finished which is located in the container.

A fixture for holding the workpieces to be finished is freely supported inside the container on bearings on the eccentric portion of the fixture drive shaft so that when the drive shaft is rotated from a power source outside the container, the fixture is rapidly and positively reciprocated toward and away from the wall of the container throughout 360, while the container simultaneously tends to reciprocate or oscillate in a direction opposite to that of the arm of the fixture driven outwardly by the eccentric. The reciprocation and oscillation of the container effects tumbling movement of the abrasive media con- Tic fined within the container in the direction of movement of the container. Thus, the eccentric drive shaft rotates in one direction and the polishing and finishing media is driven in the opposite direction inside the container. The tumbling of the media slowly rotates the fixture in the direction of movement of the media, but at the same time the eccentric drive shaft is continually reciprocating the fixture and the workpieces being held thereby into the media so that finishing work is always being done on the workpieces in all positions of the: workpieces within the container.

The fixture consists of a hollow tube which is free to rotate on the bearings secured between it and the eccen tric drive shaft. The fixture may be completed by longitudinally spaced end plates which are welded to the hollow tube or in some cases the plates may be split so they can be clamped to the hollow fixture tube to be readily removable. In both embodiments, the plates may be of various shapes and fixture holding bars are secured to the plates in a manner to permit removal of the bars with the workpieces thereon without removing the entire fixture holder or the media from the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings illustrate the best embodiments presently contemplated by the inventor for practice of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus illustrating a different type of fixture construction;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fixture and tube of FIG. 1 shown with the drive shaft in stationary position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the eccentric portion of the drive shaft rotated to a left side position;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the eccentric portion of the drive shaft rotated to a top position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the eccentric portion of the drive shaft rotated to a right side position; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the eccentric rotated into a bottom position.

DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, there is shown a finishing apparatus comprising a housing 1 within which at one side is a variable speed motor 2 suitably secured within housing 1. At the other side of the housing is a tumbling container 3 which projects upwardly from housing 1 and within which a polishing and finishing material or media, not shown, for finishing workpieces is confined. The finishing media may be any type of aggregate, such as of ceramic, plastic, natural stone, corn cobs, steel or the like, made up of loose particles which can be readily tumbled or vibrated and which are adapted to clean, cut and polish workpieces.

The housing 1 is supported by legs 4 which rest on a floor or other supporting surface.

The container 3 is of generally cylindrical shape and rests on compression or coil springs 5, in turn supported by posts 6 which are secured to the base of housing 1. The springs extend outwardly from the wall of container 3 at an angle of about sixty degrees with respect to the top of the load to be finished which is located in the container. The cylindrical construction of container 3 and tilting of the springs, as described, permits the container to roll on the springs 5 in the vibratory path of the container rather than resisting such action,

and yet the angle of the springs is such as to prevent the drum from tipping over under the vibratory action to which it is subjected in service.

The shaft 7 of motor 2 is connected by means of the universal coupling 8 to a drive shaft 9 which extends longitudinally through the wall of container 3 approximately midway of the vertical extent of container 3 with both ends of shaft 9 projecting outwardly of the container wall. The projecting end portions of shaft 9 are supported on the wall of container 3 within the bearings 10 which are confined within cages 11 in turn secured to the end caps 12 which are connected to the outer surface of the wall of container 3.

The intermediate portion 13 of shaft 9 inside of container 3 is of eccentric construction in that the longitudinal axis 14 of portion 13, as indicated in FIG. 1, is offset from the longitudinal axis 15 of shaft 9.

In order to hold the workpieces which are to be finished by the machine, a work-holding fixture 16 is provided to receive any variety of workpieces, such as golf club heads, hammers, axes, wrenches and similar products which require finishing and polishing.

The fixture 16 under one embodiment of the invention consists of a central tube 17 which surrounds shaft 9 inside of container 3 and carries longitudinally spaced, radially extending plates 18, each of which has four projecting arms 19. The plates are secured to the outer cylindrical surface of tube 17 at the opposite end portions of tube 17.

Central tube 17 is freely supported on bearings 20 located adjacent each end of intermediate eccentric portion 13 of shaft 9. Bearings 20 are confined within grooves 21 in the inner wall of tube 17 and are held in place by end locks 22. Seals 23 are secured within the ends of tube 17 adjacent bearings 20, and the inside of the tube 17 may be filled with oil.

The outer ends of each arm 19 may have the flange 24 or similar abutments provided with a threaded aperture to receive screws 25 which secure the workpiece holding bars 26 to the flanges 24 of arms 19. The bars 26 extend between the projecting arms 19 of plates 18. The manner of securement of bars 26 to plates 18 permits the bars to be readily removed and replaced by other bars 26 holding workpieces so that the fixture 16 can be loaded without complete removal of the fixture or of the finishing media.

Each bar 26 may be provided with a series of spaced and threaded apertures 27 to receive the threaded ends of a workpiece to be finished, such as the golf club heads 28, illustrated in FIG. 2. The construction of bars 26 form no part of the invention and may take various forms, such as a two-piece bar, for example, to clamp workpieces in place to the fixture so that they may be polished and finished.

The fixture 16 may be of different construction. Thus, in another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a fixture 29 with four projecting arms 30, each of which are constructed of two halves 31 so that the respective halves 31 may be clamped to the tube 17 in longitudinally spaced relationship as by bolts 32. As in the first embodiment, bars 26 are employed to hold the workpieces to be finished, but in this embodiment bars 26 are an integral part of the arms 30. This permits ready removal of the entire fixture 29 to replace it with other of different size or shape or constructed in a manner to hold a plurality of bars, not shown, one inside the other.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When motor 2 is actuated, shaft 7 and coupling 8 rotate the fixture drive shaft 9 at varied speeds to properly finish workpieces. As previously described, the container 3 is mounted on the shaft 9 whereas the fixture is mounted on the eccentric portion 13 of shaft 9 so that the container and fixture each have a different axis, namely, axis 15 and 14. respectively. Thus, as shaft 9 rotates, ec-

centric portion 13 rotates within fixture 16 and bearings 20. The eccentric rotation of shaft portion 13 positively reciprocates the fixture 16 comprised of tube 17, workpiece holding plates 18 and bars 26 within the container 3. The container 3 oscillates because of the rotation of drive shaft 9. Oscillation of container 3 tends to flow the finishing media in the direction of movement of container 3. Since tube 17 is free to rotate on bearings 20, movement of the finishing material in container 3 tends to slowly rotate the fixture 16 as it reciprocates within container 3 in a direction opposite to the rotation of shaft 9 and eccentric 13. Thus, in operation, when the container is filled with finishing media the shaft rotates in one direction and the fixture and media rotate in the opposite direction.

The reciprocation of the fixture 16 within the container positively forces the workpieces 28 through the finishing media. Thus, the workpieces 28 are continually being jammed into the finishing media around a path of 360 as the fixture 16 and wall of container 3 at any given time reciprocate toward and away from each other and could be said to be forced-finished, rather than merely depending on the media to pass over workpieces 28 under the action of container 3.

FIGS. 59 illustrate the principle of the invention as applied to fixture 16 of FIG. 1 and container 3, and without consideration to any effect the springs 5 may have on the movement of the parts of the apparatus.

In FIG. 5, the fixture 16 is illustrated in stationary position with the eccentric portion 13 of shaft 9 in downward position. The effect of the eccentric is to move the lowermost arm 19 of the fixture closer to the wall of container 3 than the other arms.

In FIG. 6, the eccentric 13 is shown in rotation at the left side of shaft 9. The effect of the eccentric is to move the leftmost arm 19 of the fixture closer to the wall of container 3 than the other arms. The result is that the workpieces which will be located on the bar 26 extending between leftmost arm 19 would be forced into the media in the confined or decreased space between the leftmost arm 19 and wall of container 3.

In FIG. 7, an arm 19 at the uppermost position is shown as reciprocated outwardly by the eccentric.

In FIG. 8, the eccentric 13 has rotated to the right side and the rightmost arm 19 has moved closer to the container wall to initiate jamming of the workpieces into the media.

FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 5 with respect to the distance between the lowermost arm 19 and the container, but illustrates that the eccentric is rotating.

FIGS. 5-9 illustrate a stationary and four different positions of an arm 19 of the fixture. However, in actual operation of the device, the fixture is slowly rotated by the media in a direction opposite to rotation of the eccentric so that, as previously described, in a cycle of 360, one of the arms 19 is always in a closer position to the wall of the container than the other three arms. Consequently, the workpieces are constantly being forced into the media.

It has been found, for example, that in finishing a workpiece under prior art devices, such as that exemplified in United States Patent 3,371,449 referred to above, it takes about three hours at 2100 r.p.m. of the drive shaft of the motor to remove a 150 grit belt scratch on a workpiece, such as workpieces 28 represented by the golf club heads shown in FIG. 2. By employing the present invention, the time requirement to remove a 150 grit belt scratch has been found to be cut in half. In addition, the apparatus of the invention can do work that previously could not be done economically commercially, such as removal of an grit belt scratch in metal workpieces.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a finishing machine for polishing and finishing workpieces, a drive shaft, a container adapted to receive and confine media mounted on the drive shaft concentrically of the longitudinal axis of the shaft, an eccentric portion on said drive shaft disposed within the container and having a longitudinal axis offset from the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, a workpiece holding fixture including a tubular member mounted on the eccentric portion of the drive shaft concentrically of the longitudinal axis of said eccentric portion, workpiece supporting members projecting from said tubular member and adapted to hold workpieces to be polished and finished, first bearing means supporting the drive shaft for rotation on the container and second bearing means for mounting the tubular member of the workpiece holding fixture on the eccentric portion of the drive shaft for free rotation of the fixture within the container, and power means to rotate the drive shaft, the rotation of the drive shaft etfecting rotation of the eccentric to reciprocate the supporting members of the fixture toward and away from the wall of the container and simultaneously oscillate the container and effect movement of the media therein to thereby force-finish the workpieces held by the holding fixture between the eccentrical- 1y actuated supporting members of the fixture and the wall of the container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, and the freely rotational support of the fixture efiecting reciprocation of the supporting members of the fixture toward and away from the wall of the container throughout a cycle of three hundred and sixty degrees.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, and springs supporting the container, said springs extending outwardly from the bottom of the container at an angle of approximately sixty degrees with respect to the top of the load in the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, and the workpiece supporting member comprising a plurality of radially spaced arms projecting outwardly of the tubular member, and spaced longitudinally of the tubular member to locate the same adjacent each end of the tubular member, bars extending between the respective arms at the outer end of each longitudinally spaced pair of arms, and removable means securing the bars to the arms so that the bars with workpieces held thereon can be readily removed and replaced by other bars with workpieces secured thereon to be finished.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece supporting member is provided from a pluralityof parts, and removable means securing the workpiece supporting members to the tubular member for ready removal of the workpiece supporting member to thereby eliminate removal of the entire fixture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,178,827 4/1916 Spellman 51- 19 3,371,449 3/1968 Olson 51-163 3,464,163 9/ 1969 Ferrara 517 HAROLD D. WHITEHEAD, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 51-163 

